I’ve made so much progress in the past 6 months realizing I can move forward and do things even with the anxiety. But my brain seems to cling to the compulsion of ruminating so tight it’s very difficult to eliminate since I’ve been doing it forever. Sometimes even just “remembering” what the “problem” currently is is enough to be a compulsion for me. It’s like my brain never wants to completely let go of OCD’s story because it MIGHT be a true story. 😭😭
Good job!! Yep, super common! I didn't recover until I learned that my compulsions needed to get to ZERO! I also uncovered SO MANY compulsions I didn't know I was doing. This is why I help people in my programs identify ALL of their compulsions (most have -15-20) and I help them stay accountable to bringing them all the way to zero. If you need help with this, it's here - www.MyOCDCoach.com or www.MyAnxietyCoach.com
Hi HTJ! Fellow OCDer here👋🏼 Something that eventually helped me a lot with this was when I learned a little something something how to cope with what you’re describing. Hopefully it’ll help you too. For what you’re describing, do nothing. That’s right, do nothing about it. When you notice you are “automatically ruminating”… you just let it be. Let it happen. Do nothing about it because there is nothing to do about it. We can’t control when and what our brains do at times. Ruminating is one of them if your brain just keeps going with it. It’s not our fault. We can’t control the thoughts. Did you ask for your brain to start ruminating? I doubt it. It just does it on its own at times as a coping mechanism. Ultimately there is nothing wrong with when your brain does this. It’s ok. It’s ok that your brain is doing this on its own. Nothing is wrong with you or your thoughts. What helps me is I conceptualize my brain chatter when it’s on hyperdrive, as an autistic child who speak no English, knows no better, and that it’s just throwing a tantrum. It’s nothing personal. There’s nothing actually wrong. When a child throws a temper tantrum, it helps the situation calm down when we don’t give into the temper tantrum. We don’t give them what they’re crying and screaming about even as they relentlessly pester us. We notice that they’re there doing what they’re doing but we then do our best to ignore them. That doesn’t mean try to suppress or control your thoughts either. You notice it when you notice it when it’s happening and you notice it when it calms down. Up and down. Up and down. Also, the more you learn and practice being brave and deliberately not engaging back with the mental chatter when it’s ruminating, the more your brain can be retrained to step out of this coping mechanism. It’ll get quieter and quicker as time goes on. Timing is always out of your control with these kinds of things. The mind is like a wild horse. The tighter we pull the leash and try to control its every move, the more it panics, the stronger it gets, and it explodes even more. Try loosening up the rein of control in the relationship you have with your brain. When the leash gets looser and looser, the more the horse relaxes, calms down and doesn’t feel threatened. Good luck! You got this!
How much does doubt and negative thinking stop you from taking action?
It's like we have 2 brains one telling lies and the other deciding if you should listen. Thanks as always for the advice.
Your coaching has helped me so much!!!!
I’ve made so much progress in the past 6 months realizing I can move forward and do things even with the anxiety. But my brain seems to cling to the compulsion of ruminating so tight it’s very difficult to eliminate since I’ve been doing it forever. Sometimes even just “remembering” what the “problem” currently is is enough to be a compulsion for me. It’s like my brain never wants to completely let go of OCD’s story because it MIGHT be a true story. 😭😭
Good job!!
Yep, super common! I didn't recover until I learned that my compulsions needed to get to ZERO! I also uncovered SO MANY compulsions I didn't know I was doing. This is why I help people in my programs identify ALL of their compulsions (most have -15-20) and I help them stay accountable to bringing them all the way to zero. If you need help with this, it's here - www.MyOCDCoach.com or www.MyAnxietyCoach.com
@@MyOCDCoachthank u so much ❤
Hi HTJ! Fellow OCDer here👋🏼 Something that eventually helped me a lot with this was when I learned a little something something how to cope with what you’re describing. Hopefully it’ll help you too.
For what you’re describing, do nothing. That’s right, do nothing about it. When you notice you are “automatically ruminating”… you just let it be. Let it happen. Do nothing about it because there is nothing to do about it. We can’t control when and what our brains do at times. Ruminating is one of them if your brain just keeps going with it. It’s not our fault. We can’t control the thoughts. Did you ask for your brain to start ruminating? I doubt it. It just does it on its own at times as a coping mechanism. Ultimately there is nothing wrong with when your brain does this. It’s ok. It’s ok that your brain is doing this on its own. Nothing is wrong with you or your thoughts.
What helps me is I conceptualize my brain chatter when it’s on hyperdrive, as an autistic child who speak no English, knows no better, and that it’s just throwing a tantrum. It’s nothing personal. There’s nothing actually wrong. When a child throws a temper tantrum, it helps the situation calm down when we don’t give into the temper tantrum. We don’t give them what they’re crying and screaming about even as they relentlessly pester us. We notice that they’re there doing what they’re doing but we then do our best to ignore them. That doesn’t mean try to suppress or control your thoughts either. You notice it when you notice it when it’s happening and you notice it when it calms down. Up and down. Up and down.
Also, the more you learn and practice being brave and deliberately not engaging back with the mental chatter when it’s ruminating, the more your brain can be retrained to step out of this coping mechanism. It’ll get quieter and quicker as time goes on.
Timing is always out of your control with these kinds of things. The mind is like a wild horse. The tighter we pull the leash and try to control its every move, the more it panics, the stronger it gets, and it explodes even more.
Try loosening up the rein of control in the relationship you have with your brain. When the leash gets looser and looser, the more the horse relaxes, calms down and doesn’t feel threatened.
Good luck! You got this!
When doing exposure work is it normal for it to feel debilitating? like so uncomfortable you feel frozen?
It can happen, but it should get better the longer you go if you’re doing it right.